Hi and every week I'll help you meet life's challenges

Hi and welcome to the savvy psychologist podcast. I'm your host Dr. Ellen Hendrickson and every week I'll help you meet life challenges

with evidence-based research, a sympathetic ear, and zero judgment.

Self-criticism can be a healthy motivator or an opportunity for learning. But too often we go overboard,

flashing ourselves with insults and magnifying our faults. So how to

rebalance. Enter self-compassion. Rather than judging yourself when things go wrong, you comfort and

care for yourself. Self-compassion is being kind and patient with yourself when inevitably you fall short of perfection.

And intellectually, we know everyone makes mistakes, but somehow when that someone is us, we get a lot less sympathetic.

But judging ourselves harshly not only makes us feel terrible, it doesn't improve the situation at all.

So this week, let's do away with unhelpful judgment.

Just like massaging a knot out of a muscle,

here are five ways to use self-compassion to gently rub judgment

out of your life.

Tip number one, focus on what you needed at the time, not what you did.

So take yourself back to a point in your life of which you're not particularly proud.

That loser you dated, those words you said in anger, the friend you flaked out on when she really needed you.

And usually what comes to mind is judgment.

Maybe you cringe or roll your eyes at yourself.

Ugh, what was I thinking or you blew it again?

But instead of judgment, try this instead.

When you're hit with regret, think of what need you were trying to fulfill at the time. with

with dating the aforementioned loser for example.

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